UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE     OF     AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT    STATION 

BERKELEY,    CALIFORNIA 


HARVESTING  AND  PACKING 
GRAPES  IN  CALIFORNIA 


H.  E.  JACOB  and  J.  R.  HERMAN 


BULLETIN  390 

June,  1925. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRINTING  OFFICE 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 

1925 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  California,  Davis  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/harvestingpackin390jaco 


HARVESTING  AND  PACKING  GRAPES 
IN  CALIFORNIA 


H.  E.  JACOB  and  J.  E.  HERMAN 


INTRODUCTION 

The  practice  of  shipping  fresh  grapes  to  distant  markets  in 
refrigerated  railroad  cars,  although  some  thirty  years  old  has  developed 
most  rapidly  since  1916  as  is  shown  on  the  following  chart : 


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Fig.  1. — Interstate  car  lot  shipments  of  fresh  grapes  from  California. 

•  New  types  of  packages  and  new  methods  of  packing  have  been 
developed  from  time  to  time  in  efforts  to  improve  the  condition  in 
which  the  fruit  reaches  its  ultimate  destination.  The  various  market- 
ing agencies  and  commercial  packing  establishments  have,  for  the  most 
part,  kept  themselves  well  informed  regarding  the  newer  developments 
in  the  art  of  packing  grapes.  Growers  have  been  slower  in  acquiring 
this  information  because  their  contact  with  the  actual  packing  and 
marketing  has  been  less  intimate.  The  packer  and  shipper  can  not 
deliver  grapes  to  the  distant  markets  in  good  condition  however 
careful  and  well  informed  he  is,  unless  the  grower  turns  the  grapes 


4  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

over  to  him  in  first-class  condition.  Cooperation  between  grower  and 
shipper  is  essential  if  California  grapes  are  to  be  marketed  most 
advantageously.  The  grower  can  not  intelligently  cooperate  with  the 
packer  and  shipper  unless  he  knows  at  least  in  a  general  way  how 
the  grapes  are  to  be  handled  after  they  leave  his  hands. 

The  principal  purpose  of  this  publication  therefore  is  to  inform 
the  groAver  as  to  the  better  practices  in  harvesting  and  packing  grapes 
in  use  in  California  at  the  present  time  and  thereby  assist  him  in 
cooperating  with  the  packer  and  shipper  in  order  to  deliver  grapes  to 
the  market  in  the  best  possible  condition. 

The  necessary  information  was  obtained  from  various  sources, 
principally  by  observing  the  methods  of  the  more  successful  growers 
and  shippers  without  whose  generous  cooperation  the  work  would  have 
been  difficult  or  impossible.  Our  thanks  are  particularly  due  to  The 
California  Fruit  Exchange  and  its  members  in  various  parts  of  the 
state,  The  Earl  Fruit  Company,  The  Stewart  Fruit  Company,  The 
Tracy-Waldron  Fruit  Company,  C.  H.  Weaver  and  Company,  The 
Delano  Fruit  Company;  and  to  Messrs.  George  Ames,  Mecca;  M.  E. 
Angier,  Lodi ;  Phil  Baier,  Lindsay ;  R.  W.  Blackburn,  Thermal ;  F.  W. 
Brewster,  Arvin;  C.  B.  Cunningham,  Mills;  W.  D.  Gibbs,  Coachella; 
G.  A.  Gordon,  Thermal;  T.  J.  Gridley,  Coachella;  A.  B.  Humphrey, 
Mayhew ;  George  F.  Johnson,  Etiwanda ;  J.  Leffel,  Sanger ;  B.  F.  List, 
Exeter;  "W.  B.  Minturn,  Livingston;  W.  L.  Paul,  Coachella;  E.  F. 
Pinkham,  Exeter;  F.  Pinkham,  Exeter;  J.  R.  Pinkham,  Exeter;  E. 
Reed,  Reedley ;  L.  Rusconi,  Sanger ;  Emil  Steiner,  Brawley ;  B.  Towne, 
Lodi ;  Chris  Westgard,  Brawley ;  R.  G.  Williams,  Lodi. 

The  authors  are  much  indebted  to  Professor  F.  T.  Bioletti  for  his 
assistance  in  outlining  and  directing  the  work  and  in  the  preparation 
of  the  manuscript.  Thanks  are  also  due  to  Mr.  Fred  J.  Scott  and 
Mr.  W.  F.  Broderick  for  their  helpful  criticism  of  the  manuscript. 


HARVESTING 

Time  of  Picking. — The  chief  considerations  in  determining  the  best 
time,  or  stage  of  development,  for  picking  table  grapes  are : 

1.  They  should  be  attractive  to  the  consumer  in  appearance  and 

eating  quality. 

2.  They  should  have  good  carrying  and  keeping  qualities. 

3.  They  should  reach  the  market  at  a  time  when  prices  are  high. 
It  is  not  often  possible  to  pick  grapes  when  all  of  these  factors  are  at 
their  best.    It  is  usually  necessary  to  compromise.    Very  early  in  the 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  5 

season  prices  are  high,  and  most  of  the  very  early  grapes  are  picked 
soon  after  they  reach  the  minimum  degree  of  maturity  permitted  by 
law  (see  below).  In  mid-season  prices  are  likely  to  be  low,  conse- 
quently, grapes  which  ripen  at  that  seasson  are  usually  allowed  to 
reach  their  prime  with  reference  to  appearance,  palatability  and 
shipping  qualities.  Late  in  the  season  prices  are  again  high.  There- 
fore, in  sections  of  the  state  where  it  is  possible  to  take  advantage  of 
these  good  late  markets,  grapes  are  sometimes  left  on  the  vines  until 
they  are  past  their  best  shipping  quality. 

Ripening,  as  it  interests  the  grower,  consists  in  a  decrease  in  acidity, 
an  increase  in  sugar,  and  the  development  of  the  color,  texture,  and 
flavor  characteristic  of  the  variety.  These  changes  are  continuous  so 
long  as  the  grapes  remain  on  the  vine  but  stop  as  soon  as  they  are 
picked.  (In  this  respect  grapes  differ  from  many  other  fruits,  which 
continue  to  ripen  after  being  picked.)  Under  normal  conditions  such 
changes  result  in  gradual  improvement  until  the  best  stage  from  the 
grower's  standpoint  is  reached,  after  which  gradual  deterioration 
ensues.  This  stage  is  the  proper  time  to  pick  and  represents  a  com- 
promise of  the  three  considerations.  It  is  frequently  difficult  to  deter- 
mine, yet  very  important.  The  first  of  these  considerations,  namely,  the 
satisfaction  of  the  consumer,  should  usually  be  the  deciding  factor. 
The  second  is  really  involved  in  the  first,  for  the  fruit  must  not  only 
be  good  when  it  is  removed  from  the  vine  but  remain  so  until  it  reaches 
the  consumer.  The  third  factor,  market  price,  should  be  the  last  of 
the  three  considered.  Except  very  early  or  very  late  in  the  season,  the 
fulfillment  of  the  first  two  will  have  more  influence  on  the  price 
received  than  the  condition  of  the  general  market. 

There  has  been  and  still  is  a  strong  tendency  early  in  the  season  to 
market  green  fruit.  Sometimes  it  sells  for  an  almost  fabulous  price,  but 
it  always  has  a  depressing  effect  upon  the  consumer  and  the  market. 

This  fact  is  recognized  in  the  fruit  and  vegetable  standardization 
laws  which  have  been  passed  by  the  legislature  of  the  State  of  Cali- 
fornia, solely  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  industry  in  California 
by  preventing,  as  far  as  possible,  the  shipment  of  inedible  fruit  or 
fraudulent  packing.  The  Standardization  law  states:*  "Grapes  shall 
show  a  sugar  content  of  not  less  than  17  per  cent  Balling  scale,  except 
Burger,  Emperor,  Gros  Colman,  Pierce  Isabella,  and  Cornichon,  which 
shall  show  not  less  than  16  per  cent  Balling  scale." 

This  is  a  definition  of  legal  ripeness  of  grapes  in  terms  of  sugar 
content.     It  establishes  a  minimum,  not  an  optimum  content.    How- 


*  California  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Standardization  Act   (Approved  June  3, 
1921;  Stats.  1921,  Chap.  719;  amended,  Stats.  1923,  Chap.  315.) 


b  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

ever,  it  would  be  impossible  to  determine  or  to  enforce  an  optimum 
standard ;  and  a  legal  minimum  if  enforced,  does  as  much  as  it  seems 
possible  to  do  by  law  to  promote  the  shipping  of  grapes  at  a  stage  of 
optimum  maturity. 

It  is  impossible  for  a  grower  to  comply  with  this  law  without 
having  the  average  sugar  content  of  his  grapes  several  degrees  above 
the  legal  minimum  standard,  for:  (1)  the  law  applies  to  every  bunch 
in  the  shipment,  not  to  an  average  sample,  (2)  there  is  much  variation 
in  the  sugar  content  in  different  bunches  at  the  same  time  in  the  same 
vineyard,  (3)  the  grower  can  not  determine  accurately  the  sugar  con- 
tent of  every  bunch  he  packs  but  must  make  an  approximate  estimate, 
and  since  he  must  not  err  below  the  minimum,  the  average  sugar 
content  of  the  grapes  will  of  necessity  be  above  the  legal  minimum 
standard,  usually  at  least  2  or  3  per  cent. 

Hydrometer  Sugar  Test. — Since  the  soluble  solid  matter  of  grapes 
is  principally  sugar,  an  hydrometer  may  be  used  to  determine  the 
sugar  content  accurately  enough  for  picking  and  shipping.  For  this 
purpose  an  hydrometer  of  "Balling  scale,"  giving  directly  the  per  cent 
of  sugar,  is  used.  (One  degree  Balling  represents  1  per  cent  of  sugar) . 
The  following  brief  outline  describes  the  method  of  making  an 
hydrometer  sugar  test : 

Materials  needed:  1.  An  hydrometer,  graduated  in  Balling  scale. 
2.  A  tall  cylinder  as  deep  as  the  length  of  the  hydrometer  and  large 
enough  to  allow  the  hydrometer  to  float  freely.  Its  base  should  be 
large  enough  to  insure  its  standing  upright  without  danger  of  tipping 
over.  3.  A  vessel  in  which  the  grapes  can  be  crushed  readily.  4. 
Pieces  of  cheese  cloth  12  inches  square  to  strain  the  juice.  5.  A  sample 
of  the  grapes  to  be  tested,  sufficiently  large  to  furnish  a  little  more 
juice  than  is  necessary  to  fill  the  cylinder. 

To  make  the  test :  Thoroughly  crush  all  the  grapes  in  the  sample. 
Improper  crushing  may  result  in  an  error  of  as  much  as  two  degrees. 
After  the  grapes  are  crushed,  strain  the  juice  through  a  piece  of  cheese 
cloth  into  a  small  saucepan  or  other  convenient  vessel  and  pour  it  into 
the  cylinder.  Fill  the  cylinder  to  overflowing  so  that  the  foam,  which 
forms  when  the  juice  is  poured  in,  runs  off.  Then  put  the  hydrometer 
carefully  into  the  filled  cylinder.  Push  it  down  below  the  point  to 
which  it  first  sinks,  so  that  when  released  it  bobs  up  and  down  a  few 
times.  When  the  instrument  comes  to  rest,  carefully  read  the  point 
on  the  scale  at  the  surface  of  the  liquid.  Raise  the  instrument  slightly 
and  let  it  go,  so  that  it  again  bobs  up  and  down  a  few  times.  Again 
take  the  reading.  These  readings  should  agree.  If  they  do  not,  it 
indicates  that  the  juice  contains  too  much  floating  solid  matter  and 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND  PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  7 

should  be  restrained ;  or  that  the  diameter  of  the  cylinder  is  too  small 
and  a  larger  one  should  be  used.  Take  the  reading  at  the  general  level 
of  the  surface  and  not  at  the  top  point  of  adherence  of  the  liquid  to 
the  instrument  (meniscus).  Carefully  take  the  temperature  of  the 
juice  tested.  If  several  tests  are  to  be  made  in  rapid  succession,  the 
instrument  and  cylinder  need  not  be  washed  between  tests,  but  unless 
they  are  to  be  used  within  a  few  minutes  they  should  be  thoroughly 
washed  and  dried. 

The  hydrometer  is  graduated  to  be  accurate  at  60°  F.  Above  this 
temperature  the  observed  reading  is  less  than  the  actual  percentage  of 
sugar ;  below  60°  F.,  it  is  above  the  actual  percentage.  If  the  tem- 
perature is  above  60°  F.,  a  correction  should  therefore  be  added  to 
the  reading.  If  below  60°  F.,  it  should  be  subtracted.  This  tempera- 
ture variation  is  about  0.1  degree  for  every  three  degrees  above  or 
below  60°  F. 

This  degree  represents  the  percentage  of  sugar  in  a  pure  sugar 
solution  of  the  same  specific  gravity  as  the  juice.  As  this  juice  con- 
tains substances  other  than  sugar,  the  real  sugar  concentration  will 
usually  be  from  0.5  per  cent  to  2.5  per  cent  less  than  the  Balling  degree 
or  per  cent  of  sugar  indicated.  These  non-saccharine  substances  will 
vary  so  greatly  in  different  grapes  that  the  Balling  degree  gives  only 
an  approximation  of  the  amount  of  sugar  present. 
f*  The  sugar  test  is  not  an  absolute  criterion  of  degree  of  palatability. 
Some  varieties  of  grapes  are  more  palatable  at  18  per  cent  of  sugar  than 
are  other  varieties  at  20  or  even  21  per  cent.  This  is  due  to  variation 
in  acidity.  Khalili,  Rish  Baba,  and  Cornichon,  with  17  or  18  per  cent 
of  sugar,  for  example,  are  often  more  palatable  than  Sultanina 
(Thompson  Seedless),  Malaga,  or  Gros  Colman,  even  when  the  latter 
are  2  or  3  per  cent  higher  in  sugar.  Also,  the  ratio  of  sugar  to  palata- 
bility of  the  same  variety  grown  in  different  sections  of  the  state  may 
vary.  However,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  variety  of  grapes  in  any  part 
of  the  state  is  really  good  to  eat  until  after  it  has  attained  at  least  18 
per  cent  of  sugar  as  measured  by  an  hydrometer,  and  very  few  varieties 
in  any  part  of  the  state  reach  their  best  eating  quality  until  they  attain 
over  20  per  cent.  Some  very  late  varieties  never  attain  20  per  cent 
sugar  in  some  sections  of  the  state,  but  those  sections  should  not 
attempt  to  grow  these  varieties  for  the  market. 

Picking. — An  hydrometer  test  will  give  the  manager  of  a  vineyard 
a  general  idea  of  when  to  begin  picking,  but  the  pickers  themselves 
must  rely  on  other  tests.  Appearance  and  taste  of  the  berries  and 
condition  of  the  stems  are  tne  factors  generally  used.  It  is  impossible 
to  define  how  a  ripe  grape  should  look  and  taste  except  to  say  that  it 


8  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

should  be  characteristic  of  the  variety.  By  keeping  in  mind,  however, 
certain  standards  of  color,  taste,  and  condition  which  correspond  to  the 
required  hydrometer  test  the  pickers  after  a  little  experiencei  will 
be  enabled  to  distinguish  between  ripe  fruit  and  green  fruit,  accord- 
ing to  the  legal  requirements  or  to  those  of  the  ideal  of  the  grower. 
Some  of  the  characters  or  signs  of  use  to  pickers  in  determining  ripe- 
ness are :  (1)  Color  and  condition  of  the  stem.  This  sign  can  be  used 
only  as  an  index  of  full  maturity,  and  varies  with  the  variety.  Thus, 
Emperor  picked  for  sawdust  packing,  where  only  fully  matured  fruit 
is  wanted,  should  show  some  of  the  light  brown  matured-cane  color 
on  the  stem  of  every  bunch.  Sultanina  (Thompson  Seedless)  attains 
its  maximum  quality  when  the  stems  of  the  bunches  are  of  a  light 
straw  color  but  are  neither  wilted  nor  dry.  (2)  Taste.  The  greenest 
grapes  of  a  bunch  are  those  near  the  apex.  Therefore,  if  taste  is  used 
in  determining  ripeness,  berries  from  near  the  apex  of  the  bunch 
should  be  chosen  for  tasting.  The  sense  of  taste  is  quickly  dulled  and 
if  a  picker  tastes  very  many  bunches  he  soon  loses  the  ability  to  tell 
whether  the  grapes  are  ripe  or  not.  (3)  Appearance  of  the  berries. 
The  color  of  green  and  ripe  grapes  of  most  varieties  and  of  the  same 
variety  in  different  soils  and  locations  is  different,  and,  while  a  well 
colored  grape  is  not  necessarily  a  ripe  one,  the  color  is  of  great  use 
to  the  picker  in  judging  relative  ripeness.  Green  or  white  varieties 
of  grapes  get  more  nearly  white  or  yellow  as  they  ripen.  The  color 
of  red  or  black  grapes  usually  becomes  deeper  and  more  brilliant  as 
the  ripening  progresses. 

The  fact  that  all  fruit  in  the  same  vineyard  or  even  on  the  same 
vine  does  not  ripen  at  the  same  time  further  complicates  the  situation. 
Very  seldom  is  it  possible  to  harvest  a  crop  of  table  grapes  and  market 
them  in  good  condition  without  picking  over  the  vines  at  least  three 
times.  Frequently  some  of  the  better  growers  of  fine  table  grapes  go 
over  their  vines  from  five  to  seven  times,  picking  each  time  only  fruit 
which  closely  approximates  optimum  maturity. 

1.  Picking  Boxes. — The  usual  practice  in  harvesting  and  packing 
grapes  is  to  pick  into  ' '  picking  boxes ' '  and  to  haul  to  a  place  of  pack- 
ing or  to  a  packing-house  where  they  are  placed  in  a  final  container 
for  shipment.  Picking  boxes  in  use  at  the  present  time  vary  a  great 
deal  in  size,  form,  and  construction.  No.  1  standard  (Los  Angeles) 
lugs  are  frequently  used,  but  these  are  somewhat  too  small  and  too 
frail  to  be  economical.  The  picking  box  preferred  by  most  growers 
is  one  large  enough  to  hold  about  30  pounds  of  grapes  when  the  bunches 
are  placed  upright  in  the  box  and  only  one  layer  deep.  A  box  15 
inches  wide,  23  inches  long,  and  8  inches  high  (outside  dimensions), 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  9 

one  of  the  commoner  sizes,  fulfills  this  requirement  and  is  of  a  con- 
venient size  and  shape.  The  sides  and  bottom  of  this  box  should  be 
made  of  y2  inch  material  and  the  ends  and  cleats  of  %  inch. 

2.  Manner  of  Picking  and  Placing  in  Box. — The  picker  should 
handle  the  bunches  by  the  stem  only.  A  knife  or  pair  of  scissors  should 
be  used  to  remove  the  bunches  from  the  vine  and,  while  the  stem  is 
being  cut  with  one  hand,  the  bunch  should  be  held  by  the  stem  with 


'  Fig.  2. — "Stems  up"  pack  in  standard  No.  1  (Los  Angeles)  lug.  Note  how 
the  box  is  held  at  a  convenient  angle  for  packing  by  placing  one  end  in 
another  box. 

the  other.  Any  bird  pecked  or  decayed  berries  should  be  removed. 
It  should  be  placed  in  the  box  on  end  with  the  stem  up.  Figure  2 
shows  a  No.  1  standard  lug  box  filled  in  this  manner.  To  do  this 
requires  that  the  box  be  tilted.  The  box  may  be  kept  at  the  proper 
angle  by  setting  it  crosswise  with  one  end  in  another  box  (see  fig.  2). 
Handling  the  grapes  and  placing  them  in  the  box  in  this  manner  not 
only  preserves  the  bloom  and  prevents  bruising  but  also  facilitates 
removing  them  from  the  box  in  packing. 


10 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


When  the  boxes  are  filled  they  should  be  placed  in  the  shade  and 
where  they  can  be  found  easily  by  the  collecting  crew. 

Transporting  the  Grapes  to  the  Packing  House. — If  the  rows  in  the 
vineyard  are  12  feet  or  more  apart  it  is  possible  to  drive  a  narrow 
wagon  or  "vineyard  truck"  (fig.  3)  through  the  vineyard  and  collect 
the  filled  picking  boxes.  Where  the  rows  are  less  than  12  feet  apart, 
the  pickers  usually  carry  the  filled  boxes  to  the  ends  of  the  rows,  or 
avenues,  where  they  are  picked  up  by  a  wagon  or  auto  truck.     It  is 


Fig.  3. — Vineyard  trucks.  Above — a  truck  with  springs.  Below — a  short- 
turning  truck.  Note  that  the  front  and  rear  wheels  turn  in  opposite  directions 
when  making  a  turn.     This  feature  gives  the  truck  a  very  short  turning  radius. 

not  advisable  to  use  a  standard  wagon  or  auto  truck  for  driving 
between  the  rows  to  collect  the  grapes  unless  the  rows  are  14  feet 
or  more  apart. 

For  short  hauling  over  loose  ground  or  smooth  dirt  roads  as  in 
collecting  the  grapes  in  the  vineyard  and  hauling  them  to  the  road- 
side, vineyard  trucks  or  wagons  without  springs  may  be  used.  Such 
trucks  or  wagons,  however,  should  never  be  used  to  haul  table  grapes 
over  macadam  roads  or  pavement  more  than  perhaps  a  fraction  of  a 
mile.  For  this  purpose  a  light  auto  truck  on  pneumatic  tires  is 
excellent  (fig.  4).  With  a  one-or  two-ton  auto  truck  having  good 
springs  and  pneumatic  tires,  the  grapes  may  be  hauled  rapidly  and 
with  very  little  shaking.    Very  large  trucks  on  solid  tires  are  unsatis- 


Bull.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING    GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA 


11 


factory,  not  only  because  they  shake  the  grapes  a  great  deal  (more 
than  do  most  light  trucks)  but  also  because  they  require  considerable 
time  for  loading  and  unloading.  The  slower  speed  of  the  large  trucks 
further  increases  the  delay  in  delivering  the  grapes  if  the  distance  is 
considerable.  Frequently,  too,  in  a  small  vineyard  where  only  a  few 
pickers  are  employed,  it  takes  a  day  or  two  to  accumulate  enough 
grapes  for  a  load.  This  delay  in  delivering  the  grapes  is  especially 
serious  in  hot  weather. 


Fig.  4. — A  very  good  type  of  auto  truck  for  hauling  grapes.     Note  the 
pneumatic  tires  on  all  four  wheels. 


PACKING 

Packing  Houses. — Except  where  grapes  are  field-packed,  some  kind 
of  building  or  shed  is  almost  necessary,  but  it  need  be  neither  elaborate 
nor  expensive.  An  open  shed  with  dirt  floor,  a  box-nailing  bench, 
enough  packing  benches  to  accommodate  the  packers  employed,  and 
a  lidding  bench  will  serve  the  purpose  very  well  for  the  small  vine- 
yarclist  who  does  his  own  packing.  In  large  houses,  the  equipment 
justifiable  will  be  determined  by  the  amount  of  fruit  packed  and  the 
continuity  of  its  use.  Figure  5  (upper)  shows  a  very  plain  commercial 
packing  house.  If  the  house  can  be  used  for  packing  other  fruits  also 
and  perhaps  even  vegetables  it  will  be  in  use  for  a  considerable  part 
of  the  year.  Under  these  circumstances,  a  more  substantial  building 
and  better  equipment  are  desirable,  such  as  shown  in  fig.  5  (lower). 


12 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Organization  for  Packing. — So  far  as  the  grower  is  concerned  in 
the  packing,  there  are  four  general  methods  of  handling  the  crop.  It 
is  impossible  to  say  which  of  these  methods  is  best  as  this  will  vary 
with  many  variable  conditions. 

1.  Cash  sale  on  the  vines,  or  f.o.b.  vineyard  side. — When  the  crop 
is  sold  in  this  manner,  the  grower  is  relieved  of  all  responsibility  of 
packing.    The  buyer  handles  the  grapes  to  suit  himself. 


Fig. 


wmmmmssm 


5. — Packing  houses.    Above — a  relatively  inexpensive  grape  packing  house. 
Below — a  more  elaborate  house. 


2.  Consignment  to  private  concerns. — The  grower  delivers  his 
grapes  either  packed  or  in  picking  boxes  to  the  individual  or  corpora- 
tion which  assumes  the  responsibility  of  handling  them  from  the  point 
of  delivery  by  the  grower  until  they  are  sold.  For  this  service  a 
charge  of  a  certain  percentage  of  the  gross  selling  price  is  made.  The 
grower  pays  the  cost  of  packing,  if  the  grapes  are  delivered  in  picking 
boxes,  and  all  freight  charges.  While  by  this  method  the  grower  is 
relieved  of  most  of  the  responsibility  of  handling  the  grapes,  the  price 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  13 

he  receives  for  them  depends  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  condition  in 
which  he  delivers  them.  It  is  to  his  interest,  therefore,  to  see  that  they 
are  properly  matured  and  handled  carefully  in  picking  and  delivery 
to  the  shipping  point. 

3.  Local  associations. — In  most  grape-growing  sections  of  the  state, 
certain  growers  have  formed  local  associations  primarily  for  the  pur- 
pose of  handling  their  crop.  They  build  or  lease  a  packing  house, 
employ  a  manager  and  experienced  packers,  and  thus  pack  their  fruit. 
The  packed  fruit  is  then  usually  sold  by  a  marketing  agency  which 
charges  a  certain  percentage  commission  for  its  services.  The  local 
association  puts  the  responsibility  for  good  fruit  and  careful  handling 
and  packing  directly  upon  the  growers  belonging  to  the  organization. 

This  local  association  is  useful  in  many  ways  to  the  growers.  It 
necessitates  occasional  meetings  of  the  members  to  transact  the  busi- 
ness of  the  organization,  thus  offering  opportunities  for  a  discussion 
of  their  problems :  picking,  packing,  vineyard  operation,  and  the  like. 
Each  grower  stands  in  a  position  to  profit  by  the  experience  of  his 
fellow  members.  There  are,  of  course,  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in 
the  local  association  plan.  In  every  community  there  are  growers 
who  insist  that  practically  all  the  fruit  they  deliver  to  the  packing 
house,  whether  good  or  bad,  must  be  packed  and  that  as  cheaply  as 
possible.  They  do  not  realize  that  only  good  fruit  is  worth  the  expense 
of  packing,  shipping,  and  selling,  and  that  careful  packing  is  essential 
in  order  that  the  fruit  shall  reach  the  market  in  good  condition.  If 
such  growers  as  members  of  an  association  have  sufficient  influence, 
the  standard  of  fruit  packed  by  it  will  be  low. 

4.  A  grower  may  pack  his  fruit  himself,  either  in  a  packing  shed 
or  in  the  field,  and  ship  it  under  his  own  label,  and  may  even  have  his 
own  private  sales  agency.  This  system  places  the  entire  responsibility 
of  handling  upon  the  individual  grower. 

Packing  House  Equipment. — In  the  packing  house,  equipment  will 
be  necessary  for  nailing  together  the  boxes,  for  weighing,  moving,  and 
packing  the  fruit,  and  for  lidding  the  filled  boxes.  Boxes  or  crates 
for  packing  grapes  may  be  nailed  together  by  hand  or  by  machine. 
For  hand  nailing,  a  firm  heavy  bench  made  of  2  x  4  or  4  x  4  inch  pieces 
of  wood  with  iron  nailing  sills  and  with  guides  to  hold  the  box  ends  in 
place  while  the  bottom  is  nailed  on  is  generally  used.  Figure  6  shows 
a  machine  for  nailing  boxes.  The  output  of  boxes  from  this  machine 
equals  that  of  several  men  nailing  by  hand. 

For  weighing  the  fruit,  platform  scales,  "built  in"  level  with  the 
floor,  are  most  convenient.  These  scales  should  have  a  capacity  of  at 
least  2000  pounds  and  should  be  accurate  within  one-half  pound. 


14 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Floor  trucks  or  mechanical  carriers  may  be  used  for  moving  fruit 
from  one  place  to  another  in  the  packing  house.  If  trucks  are  used, 
they  should  be  of  the  " clamp-type"  of  warehouse  trucks  (fig.  7).  The 
jaws  of  these  trucks  are  opened  and  closed  by  means  of  foot  levers,  and 
the  jaws  clamp  under  the  ends  of  the  bottom  box  of  a  stack  of  boxes. 


f,  6. — A  machine  for  nailing  boxes. 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA 


15 


Fig.  7. — Warehouse  truck,  " clamp  type."     The  jaws  which  carry  the  load 
are  opened  and  closed  by  means  of  foot  levers. 


Fig.  8. — One  type  of  packing  bench.  Note,  the  incline  of  the  top  of  the 
bench  for  convenience  in  packing,  and  the  holes  in  the  top  through  which  the 
trimmings  and  culls  are  dropped  into  boxes  underneath.  Note  also  the  endless 
belt  carrier  (" spider")  to  carry  the  packed  fruit  to  the  lidding  bench. 


16 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Fig.  9.— Another  type  of  packing  bench.  Note  the  chute  overhead  which 
carries  empty  boxes  to  the  packers.  Note  also  the  gravity  roller  type  of 
carrier  ("spider"),  which  carries  the  packed  fruit  to  the  lidding  bench. 


Fig.  10. — Packing  crew  at  work  in  a  house  equipped  with  packing  benches 
of  the  type  shown  in  fig.  9.  Note  the  forewoman  who  closely  supervises  the 
packing. 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND  PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA 


17 


Stacks  of  full  boxes  weighing  300  or  400  pounds  are  easily  handled 
by  these  trucks  without  restacking.  Mechanical  carriers  are  usually 
either  of  the  gravity  roller  type  or  of  the  endless  belt  type  shown  in 
8  and  9. 


figs 


Fig.  11. — Arrangement  of  two  packing  houses  for  sawdust  packing  in  kegs 
and  drums.  Note  the  solid  construction  of  the  benches,  and  the  chutes  for 
bringing  the  sawdust  from  the  overhead  storage  bins  to  the  packing  benches. 


18 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Packing  benches  for  lug  or  crate  packs  are  of  various  types,  from 
a  long  flat  topped  table,  similar  to  that  shown  in  fig.  8,  to  a  system  of 
individual  benches  with  a  stall-like  arrangement  as  shown  in  fig.  9. 
Figure  10  shows  the  packers  at  work  in  a  packing  house  equipped  with 
benches  similar  to  those  of  fig.  9. 


Fig.  12. — A  common  type  of  lidding  bench.  Note  the  convenient  arrangement 
of  the  lids  in  the  center,  the  cleats  at  the  right,  and  the  il stripper' '  holding 
the  nails  at  the  left. 


For  sawdust  packing,  the  usual  arrangement  is  similar  to  that 
shown  in  fig.  11.  The  sawdust  is  stored  in  an  overhead  bin  and 
carried  to  each  packing  bench  by  a  spout.  These  spouts  are  equipped 
with  a  device,  usually  a  wooden  or  metal  slide  at  the  lower  end,  for 
regulating  the  flow  of  sawdust.  The  benches  for  keg  or  drum  packing 
(see  page  17)  are  usually  not  so  high  and  are  more  solidly  constructed 
than  benches  for  lug  and  crate  packing  because  the  keg  or  drum  pack 
is  a  larger  and  heavier  pack. 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA 


19 


The  construction  of  lidding  benches  is  similar  to  that  of  the  box- 
nailing  benches,  except  that  the  nailing  sills  are  flush  with  the  top  of 
the  bench  and  that  there  are  no  guides  to  hold  the  box  ends  in  place. 
Figure  12  shows  the  type  of  lidding  bench  most  commonly  used. 

Arrangement  of  the  Packing  House. — A  packing  house  is  a  work- 
shop and  should  be  arranged  for  efficient  handling  of  the  fruit  (fig. 
13).  Preferably,  the  receiving  platform  where  the  grapes  are  delivered 
to  the  house  should  be  on  one  side,  and  the  shipping  platform,  along 
which  is  a  spur  track  from  the  railroad,  on  the  other.     The  packing 


SHIPPING    PLATFORM 

■ — , SLIDER j 

i 

REST 

L^—  LIDDING  BENCHES-^- 

PAOKim  BENCHES 

i  BOXMAKINO 

EMERGENCY            \ 
SPACE  FOR  ST0RA&\ 

ROOMS 

OF                    . 

PACKED  FRUtT    ' 

STORAGE  OF  UNPACKED  FPU 

~1 

I 
1 

/7T                    i  SNOOK 
i                        i  aTADArtr 

OFFICE 

1                        i 

i                        i                \ 

i                        I 

RECEIVING  PLATFORM  \[scMles 

covered  drive: 

Fig.  13. — Arrangement  of  a  packing  house. 


and  lidding  benches  should  be  along  the  same  side  of  the  house  as  the 
shipping  platform.  If  the  house  is  not  well  lighted  from  the  sides, 
skylights  should  be  placed  in  the  roof.  Packers  can  not  do  good  work 
in  poor  light.  Storage  space  should  be  provided  for  not  more  than  a 
day's  supply  of  unpacked  and  a  day's  output  of  packed  fruit. 

Methods  of  Packing  Grapes. — The  work  "pack, "  as  used  by  the 
grape  growers  and  shippers  of  California,  refers  to  the  place  of  pack- 
ing, the  type  of  container,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  fruit  in  the 
container.  The  various  grape  packs  or  systems  of  packing  used  may 
be  classified  as  follows : 

A.  Place  of  packing. 

1.  Packing  in  the  field  (field  pack). 

2.  Packing  in  specially  equipped  houses  (house  pack). 


20  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

B.  Type  of  container. 

1.  "Lugs"  (Standard  No.  1,  Standard  No.  2,  Standard  No.  3, 

Sawdust  lug).* 

2.  "Crates." 

3.  "Drums"  and  "kegs." 

C.  Arrangement  in  containers. 

1.  Jumble  pack,  in  lugs. 

2.  Stems  up,  in  lugs. 

3.  Plain  pack,  in  lugs  or  crates. 

4.  Cluster  pack,  in  crates. 

5.  Sawdust  pack,  in  lugs,  kegs  or  drums. 

1.  Field  pack. — "Field  packing"  means  placing  the  grapes  in 
their  ultimate  container  in  the  vineyard  as  they  are  harvested.  It  is 
the  oldest  and  simplest  method.  It  has  long  been  used  for  grapes 
sold  on  the  local  market,  but  only  during  the  past  few  years  have  suc- 
cessful attempts  been  made  to  pack  grapes  in  this  manner  for  distant 
shipments.  This  system  has  several  advantages  over  house  packing. 
(a)  It  requires  less  handling  of  the  fruit.  The  picker  removes  a  bunch 
of  grapes  from  the  vine,  examines  it  for  imperfections  and  trims  it,  i.e., 
removes  any  green,  rotten,  broken,  or  dried  up  berries  or  straggly 
portions  of  the  bunch,  and  places  it  immediately  in  the  container  from 
which  it  is  not  removed  until  sold.  It,  therefore,  obviates  the  danger 
of  bruising  and  of  removing  the  bloom,  which  occur  in  the  re-handling 
necessary  in  house  packing,  (b)  If  shipping  facilities  are  good,  the 
finished  packs  can  be  gathered  up  from  the  vineyard  and  placed  in  a 
refrigerated  car  within  an  hour  after  the  grapes  are  picked.  The  usual 
time  elapsing  from  the  time  the  grapes  are  picked  until  they  are 
placed  in  the  ice  car,  with  the  ordinary  house  systems,  is  from  12  to  72 
hours.  The  sooner  the  grapes  are  cooled  after  picking,  the  better  the 
condition  in  which  they  reach  the  market,  (c)  If  the  grapes  are  of 
fine  quality  and  require  little  or  no  trimming,  field  packing  may  be 
cheaper  than  house  packing. 

There  are,  however,  some  serious  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in 
successful  field  packing.  It  has  been  found  very  difficult  to  get  capable 
packers  for  field  work.  A  good  grape  picker  is  not  necessarily  a  good 
packer.  The  weather  conditions  existing  in  vineyards  of  the  interior 
valleys,  where  most  of  our  fine  table  grapes  are  grown,  are  too  severe 
for  women  and  girls  who  do  most  of  the  house  packing.    Trimming  and 


*  For   dimensions,   see  Regulatory  Announcement   No.   16,  Bureau   of  Fruit 
and  Vegetable  Standardization,  State  Dept.  of  Agriculture. 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING    GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA 


21 


packing  can  be  done  much  better  and  more  rapidly  in  a  packing  house 
where  everything  is  arranged  for  convenience  and  efficiency  than 
under  vineyard  conditions.  If  the  grapes  are  not  of  the  best  quality 
and  require  much  trimming,  this  can  be  done  more  cheaply  in  a 
packing  house  than  in  the  field  and,  in  addition,  a  more  uniform  pack 
can  be  obtained. 


Fig.  14. — Small  frame  for  holding  the  box  at  a  convenient  angle  for 

field  packing. 


Of  the  packages  recognized  as  standard  by  the  State  Department 
of  Agriculture,  those  best  adapted  to  field  packing  are  the  No.  1  and 
No.  2  standard  lugs.  (The  No.  1  lug  was  formerly  called  the  Cali- 
fornia Shipping  or  Los  Angeles  lug.)  See  pages  24  to  28  for  dimen- 
sions and  discussions  of  these  various  packages.  The  No.  3  or  Earl 
lug  and  the  standard  crate  are  too  shallow  for  ordinary  field  packing. 

The  manner  of  arrangement  best  suited  for  packing  the  No.  1  and 
No.  2  standard  lugs  in  the  field  is  what  is  known  asa"  stems-up ' '  pack 
(see  page  28  and  fig.  2).    It  is  virtually  the  same  as  that  used  in  filling 


22 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


the  picking  boxes  (see  page  9)  but  more  care  must  be  used  in  the 
selection  and  trimming  of  the  bunches. 

Some  arrangement  for  supporting  the  box  so  that  it  slants  toward 
the  packer  facilitates  packing,  for  the  bunches  stay  in  position  better. 
Frequently  this  requirement  is  met  by  placing  in  another  box  the 
container  in  which  the  grapes  are  being  packed,  with  one  end  down  in 
and  the  bottom  resting  on  the  side  of  the  empty  box  (see  fig.  2.)  In 
this  way,  it  is  held  at  about  the  proper  angle  for  packing.    Sometimes 


Fig.  15. — Light  portable  stand  sometimes  used  for  packing  grapes  in  the  field. 


a  special  light  portable  frame  (fig.  14)  or  a  portable  stand  (fig.  15) 
is  used.  The  grapes  should  be  handled  very  carefully.  The  picker 
should  hold  the  bunch  by  the  stem  only  while  it  is  being  cut  from  the 
vine  and  also  while  examining  and  trimming  it  (see  fig.  16).  Undesir- 
able berries  should  be  removed  from  the  bunch  with  blunt  pointed 
scissors  or  knife  and  not  by  tearing  them  off  with  the  fingers. 

The  chief  items  in  the  cost  of  field  packing  are  material  and  labor. 
(1)  Cost  of  the  shook.  This  varies  slightly  from  year  to  year  and  also 
according  to  the  package  used.  For  the  standard  No.  1  or  No.  2  lugs, 
the  cost  of  the  shook  during  the  past  three  or  four  years  has  varied 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA 


23 


between  15  and  20  cents  a  box.  (2)  Labor  of  picking  and  packing. 
Since  field  packing  requires  very  careful  work,  it  is  usually  paid  for 
on  a  time  basis  rather  than  as  piece  work.  The  speed  of  picking  and 
packing  varies  greatly  with  the  individual,  with  the  abundance  of 
fruit  of  proper  quality,  and  with  the  amount  of  trimming  required. 
A  slow  worker  with  poor  fruit  may  pick  and  pack  only  10  boxes  a  day, 


Fig.  16. — Proper  manner  of  handling  a  bunch  of  grapes  in  picking 
and  trimming  for  field  and  sawdust  packing. 


while  a  fast  worker  having  plenty  of  good  fruit  may  pack  60  or  70 
boxes  in  the  same  length  of  time.  The  cost  for  picking  and  packing 
may  vary,  therefore,  from  7  or  8  cents  to  50  cents  a  package.  The 
average  cost  for  both  shook  and  packing,  where  lug  boxes  are  used  and 
the  fruit  is  abundant  and  of  good  quality,  is  about  30  cents  a  box. 
Supervision  and  hauling  usually  amounts  to  at  least  5  cents  additional. 
2.  House  pack. — When  grapes  are  not  sold  in  the  containers  into 
which  they  are  picked,  but  are  repacked  into  other  containers  for 


24  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

sale,  it  is  spoken  of  as  "house  packing."  For  the  house  pack,  the 
grapes  are  picked  into  "field  lugs"  (see  page  8).  The  bunches  should 
be  placed  in  these  boxes  in  a  single  layer  in  an  upright  position  with 
stems  up  (see  page  9). 

A  good  packing  house  is  arranged  and  equipped  for  the  rapid  and 
easy  handling  of  the  grapes  through  all  the  operations  of  packing. 
The  heavy  work  of  moving  the  grapes  and  boxes  to  and  from  the  pack- 
ing benches  is  performed  by  men  called  "rustlers"  or  by  automatic 
machinery.    The  trimming  and  packing  is  usually  done  by  women. 

The  division  of  labor  among  workers  especially  fitted  for  each 
operation,  picking,  hauling,  "rustling,"  and  packing,  promotes  effi- 
ciency and  uniformity.  All  operations  in  the  packing  house  are  closely 
supervised  by  a  foreman  or  forewoman,  or  both,  Whose  duty  it  is  to  see 
that  the  work  progresses  smoothly  and  rapidly,  and  that  each  finished 
package  comes  up  to  the  required  standard  of  quality. 

This  method  of  packing  with  its  close  supervision  makes  possible  a 
very  uniform  pack,  not  so  easily  obtained  in  the  field.  A  more  com- 
pact, a  neater,  and  a  better  looking  pack  is  usually  put  up  by  trained 
women  of  the  packing  house  than  by  the  more  or  less  inexperienced 
men  working  in  the  vineyard.  If  a  great  deal  of  trimming  is  necessary, 
it  can  be  done  more  thoroughly  and  cheaply  in  the  packing  house  than 
in  the  field. 

The  chief  items  of  expense  in  a  packing  house  for  crate  or  lug  pack 
are :  shook  and  labels,  12  to  20  cents ;  box  making  and  lidding  iy2  to 
2y2  cents ;  packing,  4  to  6  cents ;  handling  the  fruit  to  and  from  the 
packing  benches,  1  to  1%  cents;  loading  the  car,  4  to  5  dollars  or 
about  V2  cent  a  crate;  and  overhead,  which  includes  supervision, 
interest,  depreciation,  taxes,  etc.,  which  will  vary  in  different  packing 
houses  but  which  should  not  exceed  10  cents  a  package  in  any  case. 
This  will  bring  the  total  cost  to  between  25  and  40  cents  a  package. 

3.  Containers  for  shipment,  lugs,  crates,  kegs,  and  drums.  (See 
fig.  17.)  The  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Standardization  Act,*  section  7, 
established  the  following  standard  types  of  boxes  for  grapes:  (a)  The 
standard  grape  crate  4%  inches  deep  inside  by  16  inches  wide  inside 
by  17%  inches  long  outside,  with  a  heavy  cleat  lx/\§  inches  by  1:J46 
inches  beneath  the  lid  on  each  end  of  the  box.  (b)  The  California 
lug  box  (also  called  the  Los  Angeles  lug)  5%  inches  deep  inside  by  14 
inches  wide  inside  by  17%  inches  long  outside.  A  variation  of  *4  inch 
is  permissible  in  the  width  of  this  box  so  that  13%  inches  is  the  width 
most  commonly  used.    This  lug  may  be  used  with  or  without  the  1%e- 


*  Calif.  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Standardization  Act.     (Approved  June  3,  1921; 
Stats.  1921,  Chap.  719;  amended,  Stats.  1923,  Chap.  315.) 


Bull.  390]    harvesting  and  packing  GRAPES  IN  CALIFORNIA 


25 


inch  cleat  beneath  the  lid.  (c)  Standard  grape  drum,  for  sawdust 
packing,  14  inches  deep  by  15%  inches  diameter  inside  measurements — 
capacity  2642  cubic  inches,  (d)  Standard  grape  keg,  for  sawdust 
packing — capacity  2642  cubic  inches. 

4.  Lugs. — In  addition  to  the  standard  containers  established  by 
Section  7  of  the  Standardization  Act,  the  State  Department  of  Agri- 
culture established  three  additional  standard  lug  boxes  June  1,  1924.* 


A  B  C 

Fig.  17. — Types  of  containers  used  for  shipping  fresh  grapes. 
A,  Crate.    B,  Lug.    C,  Sawdust  keg. 

TABLE  1 

Standard  Lug  Boxes  Recognized  by  the  California  State  Department  of 

Agriculture,  Bureau  of  Standardization,  1924 


Kind  of  lug 


Standard  No.  1 

(L.  A.  lug). 
(Calif,  lug.) 

Standard  No.  2 

(A.  F.  W.  lug.) 

Standard  No.  3 

(Earl  lug.) 

Sawdust  lug 


Total 
depth 
inside 


V4  in. 


5Jie  in. 


4%  in. 


7^in. 


Depth  in- 
side with- 
out cleat 


h%  in. 


A%  in. 


4^in. 


Width 
inside 


13%  in. 


13Min.f 


13Min.f 


13Min.f 


Length 
outside 


ny2  in. 


173^  in. 


V?lA  in. 


ny2  in. 


Cubic 
contents 


1427.3  cu.  in 


1205.5  cu.  in. 


1094.7  cu.  in. 


1650.0  cu.  in. 


t  The  regulations  of  the  California  State  Department  of  Agriculture  specify  14  inches  as  the  insid  e 
width  but  permit  a  variation  of  not  more  than  34  inch  in  this  width.  13%  inches,  therefore,  meets  these 
qualifications,  and  is  the  width  commonly  used. 


*  Additional  Standard  Grape  Lug  Boxes.  Eegulatory  Announcement  No.  16, 
Bureau  of  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Standardization  California  State  Dept.  of 
Agriculture. 


26  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  total  depth  of  the  Standard  No.  2  and  Standard  No.  3  may 
be  obtained  by  using  the  1%6-inch  cleat  on  the  ends  beneath  the  lid, 
or  the  ends  may  be  solid  of  the  width  specified  as  the  total  depth. 
Neither  of  these  lugs  may  be  shipped  as  standard  packages  unless  the 
total  depth  is  as  specified.  The  Standard  No.  1,  or  California  lug  box, 
may  be  used  with  or  without  the  ^e-inch  cleats.  The  sawdust  lug 
is  always  used  without  a  cleat  beneath  the  lid. 

TABLE  2 

Eelative  Contents  of  Lugs  when  Packed 

(Calculated  from  their  relative  cubic  contents) 


In  field  with  fresh  grapes* 

In  packing  house  with  wilted 
grapes 

Standard  No.  1 

28  lbs.  to  30  lbs. 
23.7  lbs.  to  25.3  lbs. 
21.5  lbs.  to  23.0  lbs. 

32  lbs. 

Standard  No.  2 

27.0  lbs. 

Standard  No.  3 

24.5  lbs. 

*  The  variations  in  weight  of  field  packs  are  due  to  variations  in  the  character  of  the  grapes  and  the 
skill  of  the  packers. 

All  grapes  packed  without  a  filler  settle  more  or  less  in  the  package 
during  transit;  consequently,  the  boxes  are  "slack"  (not  full)  when 
they  reach  the  market.  If  cleats  are  used  on  the  ends,  the  box  may 
be  packed  as  much  higher  as  the  thickness  of  the  cleats.  The  cleats 
are  ordinarily  nailed  to  the  box  ends  only  by  the  nails  that  hold  the 
lids.  When  the  lids  are  taken  off  the  cleats  are  removed  also,  thus 
reducing  the  depth  of  the  box  so  that  the  grapes  completely  fill  the 
remainder.  If  solid  ends  are  used,  there  is  no  practicable  means  of 
reducing  the  depth  of  the  box,  and  it  goes  on  to  the  market  as  a 
"slack"  pack. 

5.  Crates. — The  standard  grape  crate  has  been  extensively  used 
for  some  time  in  California.  Its  dimensions  are  414  x  16  inches  inside 
by  17%  inches  outside.  It  is  made  up  from  pieces  as  shown  in  Table  3, 
and  must  be  used  with  heavy  cleats  1%6  inch  beneath  the  lid. 

TABLE  3 

Pieces  Used  in  Making  the  Standard  Grape  Crate 
A — Slat  Crate  B — Solid  Crate 

2  ends  i^£6  x  41^  x  16  inches  2  ends  iy1Q  x  4^4  x  16  inches 

2  top  pieces  %  x  7%  xl7%  inches  2  bottom  pieces  %  x  5%  x  17%  inches 

2  cleats  iy1Q  x  i%6  x  16  inches  2  sides  %  x  3%  x  17%  inches 

2  cleats  %  x  H/i6  x  16  inches  2  top  pieces  %  x  7%  xl7%  inches 

8  slats  %.  x  1%  x  17%  inches  2  cleats  i^_6  x  i%6  x  16  inches 

for  bottom  and  sides  2  cleats  %  x  iy16  x  16  inches 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING    AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  27 

Four  chip  baskets  are  commonly  used  in  each  crate.  The  baskets 
are  4  inches  deep  and  have  sloping  sides,  are  8x8  inches  on  top  and 
6%  x  6%  inches  at  the  bottom.  They  are  made  of  thin  wood  veneer, 
the  top  edges  being  covered  with  a  narrow  rim  of  metal.  Instead  of 
the  standard  four  baskets,  two  larger  baskets  measuring  8  x  16  inches 
on  top,  6^2  x  141/2  inches  at  the  bottom  and  4  inches  deep,  are  some- 
times used  for  "Cluster  packs"  or  for  plain  packing  of  very  large 
bunches. 

6.  Relative  merits  of  crates  and  lugs. — Much  has  been  said  for  and 
against  both  containers.  Briefly  stated,  the  advantages  usually  claimed 
for  crates  are:  (1)  ventilation  in  the  center  of  the  pack  is  better  and 
therefore  the  grapes  hold  up  better  in  transit,  (2)  if  the  baskets  are 
packed  as  individual  units,  one  basket  may  be  taken  out  and  sold  with- 
out disturbing  the  others,  (3)  it  makes  an  attractive  pack  and  the 
buying  public  is  accustomed  to  it. 

The  chief  objections  to  the  crates  are  (1)  the  fruit  must  be  wilted 
to  pack  readily.  This  means  a  delay  of  twelve  hours  or  more  before 
the  fruit  is  cooled.  (2)  The  metal  tops  of  the  baskets  bruise  and  cut 
many  berries.    Both  factors  reduce  the  keeping  qualities  of  the  fruit. 

The  chief  advantages  claimed  for  lugs  are:  (1)  fresh  fruit  can  be 
readily  packed,  (2)  it  is  seldom  necessary  to  cut  or  sharply  bend  a 
bunch  for  lug  packing,  (3)  packers  having  but  little  experience  can 
put  up  a  more  presentable  pack  than  in  crates.  This  is  of  considerable 
importance  to  growers  who  wish  to  pack  in  the  field  where  experienced 
women  packers  can  not  be  used. 

The  chief  disadvantage  of  the  present  lugs,  especially  the  Standard 
No.  1,  is  that  the  large  mass  of  fruit  increases  its  liability  to  spoil. 
For  grapes  of  good  shipping  quality  this  is  not  serious.  For  those  of 
poor  shipping  quality,  e.g.,  Muscat,  this  fault  can  be  remedied  by  using 
lugs  somewhat  narrower  than  the  present  standard  ones  and  not  over 
4%  inches  deep. 

The  first  recorded  eastern  shipment  of  grapes  packed  in  Standard 
No.  1,  or  California  lug,  was  in  1918.  In  1920  it  was  very  commonly 
used.  In  Table  4  are  shown  the  relative  numbers  of  crates  and  lugs 
sold  on  the  auction  markets  of  the  U.  S.  in  1923.* 

From  these  figures  'it  will  be  seen  that  for  these  three  varieties, 
which  constitute  the  bulk  of  table  grape  shipments,  almost  as  many 
lugs  were  used  as  crates.  The  figures  given  are  exclusive  of  private 
sales  and  certain  express  car  shipments  on  which  data  are  not  available. 


*  Data  from  the  Blue  Anchor,  published  by   the  Calif.  Fruit  Exchange,   1, 
No.  1,  p.  16,  1924.      - 


28 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


The  average  price  for  a  lug  was  slightly  lower  than  the  average 
price  for  a  crate.  This  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  practically  all 
grapes  shipped  for  "juice"  purposes  are  shipped  in  lugs.  These 
figures  include  the  "juice"  stock  of  the  three  varieties  mentioned 
which  brought  less  than  the  better  fruit  packed  and  sold  for  table  use. 

Sawdust  Lugs,  Drums,  and  Kegs. —  (See  Standard  containers  used 
for  sawdust  packing  in  California,  page  25.) 


TABLE  4 
Eelative  Numbers  of  Crates  and  Lugs  Sold  on  the  Auction  Markets  of  the 

United  States  in  1923. 


Variety- 
Malaga 

Tokay 

Emperor 

Total  of  three  varieties 


Crates 


Lugs 


2,844,782 
1,394,341 
1,002,975 


5,242,098 


1,947,827 
1,902,216 
1,075,235 


4,925,278 


Arrangement  in  the  Container — 

1.  "Jumble  pack,"  in  lugs.  With  this  method  the  bunches  are 
placed  in  the  boxes  without  definite  arrangement.  It  is  a  very  cheap 
and  convenient  method  for  field  packing  of  wine  or  juice  grapes  where 
inexperienced  packers  only  can  be  obtained,  and  where  a  neat  finished 
appearance  is  not  necessary.  It  is  never  used  for  long  distance 
shipments  of  table  grapes. 

2.  "Stems  up,"  in  lugs  (fig.  2).  For  this  pack  the  bunches  of 
grapes  are  placed  in  the  lug  in  a  more  or  less  upright  position  with  the 
apices  of  the  bunches  down  and  the  stem  showing  on  the  top  of  the 
finished  pack.  Because  of  the  tapering  shape  of  the  bunches  it  is 
usually  necessary  to  lay  some  bunches  horizontally  in  the  bottom  of 
the  box  to  fill  up  the  spaces  between  the  upright  bunches.  If  the 
grapes  are  good  and  require  little  or  no  trimming  this  is  a  very  good 
and  cheap  method  of  packing.  It  does  not  require  much  experience 
to  put  up  a  very  presentable  pack.  Fresh  unwilted  grapes  can  be 
packed  readily.  If  the  pickers  are  careful,  practically  none  of  the 
bloom  is  removed  and  the  danger  of  bruising  is  minimized  because  the 
bunches  are  handled  by  the  free  stem  only.  This  method  is  the  best 
of  the  common  methods  for  field  packing.  It  is  also  adapted  for  use 
in  the  packing  house  with  fresh  grapes. 

The  only  serious  objections  that  have  been  raised  against  this 
method  of  packing  are:    (1)    its  ragged  appearance  with  all  stems 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING    GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA 


29 


showing,  and  (2)  its  settling  in  transit.     The  latter  objection  can  be 
overcome  by  making  the  pack  as  compact  as  possible. 

3.  "Plain  pack,"  in  lugs  or  crates  (fig.  18).  This  is  the  most 
common  method  used  in  packing-houses  where  experienced  packers 
are  obtainable.  The  bunches  in  the  bottom  of  the  box  are  placed  as 
compactly  as  possible  but  without  regular  arrangement.  The  bunches 
of  the  top  layer  are  bent  or  looped  so  that  the  apices  are  brought  back 
to  the  stems.  Each  bunch  is  then  placed  in  the  box  so  that  neither 
the  stem  nor  the  apex  shows.  This  places  the  middle  of  the  bunch, 
with  the  finest  berries,  at  the  surface  of  the  pack.     The  top  of  the 


A  B 

Fig.  18. — Plain  pack.     A — in  lug.     B — in  crate. 

finished  pack  presents  a  level  unbroken  surface  of  grapes,  no  stems 
or  individual  bunches  showing.  This  ' '  plain  pack ' '  can  be  used  readily 
only  with  "wilted  grapes."  Where  the  stems  have  been  allowed  to 
wilt  to  make  them  flexible,  the  bunches  of  grapes  can  be  packed  in 
so  tightly  that  very  little  settling  occurs  in  transit.  Fresh  grapes 
packed  in  this  way  are  usually  badly  bruised  and  the  berries  loosened 
from  the  pedicels  which  increases  the  spoiling  in  transit.  Moreover, 
they  settle  considerably,  and  the  pack  upon  arrival  at  the  market  may 
be  "slack."  This,  of  course,  can  be  overcome  by  packing  the  boxes 
higher  and  using  two  cleats  under  each  end  of  the  lid  instead  of  one 
(double  cleating). 

4.  "Cluster  pack,"  in  crates  (fig.  19).  This  type  of  pack  was 
formerly  used  for  very  fine  grapes  but  is  now  almost  obsolete.  A  few 
houses,  however,  have  recently  begun  using  it  again.  The  grapes  are 
sorted  during  or  before  packing.  The  very  best  bunches  are  selected 
and  packed  in  " cluster>c*rates, "  and  the  remainder  packed  as  "plain 


30  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

pack."  The  grapes  of  the  "cluster  pack"  brought  a  much  higher 
price  than  those  packed  in  the  ordinary  manner.  However,  the  removal 
of  the  finest  bunches  for  the  cluster  packs,  lowered  the  average  quality 
of  the  grapes  in  the  ordinary  packages.  These  consequently  sold  for 
a  lower  price  than  would  have  been  the  case  had  not  the  best  bunches 
been  removed,  and  the  higher  price  received  for  the  few  cluster  packs 
did  no  more  than  equalize  the  lower  returns  on  the  remainder. 

The  cluster  pack  most  commonly  used  was  the  "Star  Cluster," 
illustrated  in  fig.  19.    Four  large  bunches  constituted  the  framework 


Fig.  19. — Cluster  pack. 

of  this  pack.  Those  bunches  were  arranged  in  the  crate  with  the  stems 
together  in  the  center  and  apices  in  the  corners.  Smaller  bunches  were 
placed  underneath  to  raise  the  large  ones  to  the  proper  height.  Among 
these  four  large  bunches  on  the  top  of  the  crate  were  placed  four 
smaller  bunches,  with  their  stems  in  the  center  and  apices  at  the 
middles  of  the  ends  and  sides.  When  finished  the  surface  gave  the 
impression  of  an  eight-pointed  star.  A  bunch  of  cheap,  bright  colored 
ribbon,  of  two  harmonious  colors,  was  usually  placed  in  the  center  on 
top  of  the  grapes  before  the  lid  was  nailed  on.  This  bunch  of  ribbon 
hid  the  stems  and  added  color  to  the  pack.  Properly  packed,  the 
cluster  pack  was  the  most  beautiful  pack  ever  used  for  grapes.  Because 
of  the  irregularity  of  the  surface  and  the  extra  fullness  to  which  the 
cluster  pack  was  usually  packed,  extra  cleats  were  necessary  beneath 
the  lid  to  prevent  the  grapes  being  crushed  when  the  lid  was  nailed  on. 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  31 

5.  Saivdust  pack  in  kegs,  drums  and  lugs.  This  pack  consists  of 
filling  the  space  between  the  bunches  and  berries  with  specially  pre- 
pared sawdust  when  placed  in  the  container.  It  is  considered  the  best 
system  of  commercial  packing  now  in  use  for  grapes  that  are  to  be  kept 
for  a  considerable  length  of  time.    The  function  of  the  sawdust  is  to 

Mwmt  ^°%^Acu^na^'  At  I  aAtwc  cv&£^ 


%ZA(Au(Axou  ; 


$' AtAiifiutytuA;  a  chat  »     St  fa  /bo-y^vwU  ' Aib 


/I  v  'W       '  **  '        vv\*      y\ji^/    r\/*/  is  \sir\s\/ 


Fig.  20'. — Citation  in  Arabic  of  grapes  packed  in  barley  (see  below 
for  English  translation). 

absorb  moisture,  and  to  prevent  drying  and  bruising.  The  preservation 
of  grapes  by  packing  them  in  a  filler  is  an  ancient  practice.  A  cor- 
respondent in  Egypt  quotes  from  an  old  Arab  author,  Kemal-ed-din 
Eddamiri  "If  you  keep  bunches  of  grapes  in  barley  they  will  not 
decay  and  you  can  eat  every  day,  grapes  as  fresh  as  if  just  gathered 
from  the  vine"  (fig.  20). 


32  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT   STATION 

For  many  years  Ohanez  grapes  have  been  shipped  from  Spain* 
into  this  country  packed  in  ground  cork.  The  difficulty  of  obtaining 
cork  for  this  purpose  and  its  high  cost  in  the  United  States  led  to  the 
development  of  the  present  system  of  sawdust  packing  as  a  substitute. 

In  the  early  gold  days,  Mission  grapes  were  shipped  from  Los 
Angeles  to  San  Francisco  packed  in  sawdust.  It  was  later  the  practice 
in  northern  California  to  pack  Mission  grapes  in  sawdust  for  winter 
use.  The  grapes  kept  well,  but  after  a  few  months  they  usually 
acquired  a  resinous  or  pine  taste  from  the  sawdust.  Mr.  A.  D.  Shep- 
pard  when  freight  manager  for  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  invented, 
about  1898,  in  San  Francisco,  a  process  for  deodorizing  and  blanching 
the  sawdust,  and  grapes  packed  in  sawdust  treated  by  his  process  kept 
as  well  as  or  better  than  in  ground  cork.  Mr.  Sheppard's  object  was 
to  encourage  the  growers  here  to  raise  Ohanez  grapes  to  compete  with 
Spain.  The  first  attempts  to  grow  this  variety  in  California,  however, 
were  not  successful  and  the  process  was  never  used  commercially. 

In  1906  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  undertook  a  study  of 
grape  packing.  The  now  common  practice  of  packing  Emperor  grapes 
in  sawdust  is  a  direct  result  of  work  done  by  Professor  A.  V.  Stuben- 
rauch  and  Mr.  C.  W.  Mann  of  the  U.  S.  D.  A.f  Their  experiments 
included  exhaustive  tests  of  many  kinds  of  packing  material,  including 
corn  pith,  shredded  paper,  wheat  bran,  corn  meal,  cocoanut  pollen, 
ground  and  shredded  tule,  ground,  granuated,  and  shredded  cork,  and 
sawdust  from  various  available  woods.  Redwood  sawdust,  from  the 
first,  gave  better  results  than  any  other  ' '  filler ' '  material  used. 

The  first  commercial  test  shipments  in  sawdust  were  made  in  1911. 
Two  carloads  of  Emperor,  one  to  Chicago  and  the  other  to  New  York, 
returned  fair  prices  (about  $1.50  for  a  27-lb.  drum).  Since  1911 
shipments  have  increased  very  rapidly.  During  the  season  of  1923, 
over  24,000  kegs  of  Emperors  were  packed  in  this  manner. $ 

Sawdust  suitable  for  grape  packing  must  meet  certain  require- 
ments. (1)  It  must  not  be  too  fine.  (2)  It  must  be  free  from  sharp 
splinters.  (3)  It  must  be  dry.  (4)  It  must  be  free  from  objectionable 
odors.  Redwood,  fir,  and  spruce  are  now  the  source  of  the  sawdust 
used  in  grape  packing.  One  is  considered  as  good  as  another  so  far  as 
preserving  the  grapes  is  concerned.  The  white  sawdust  from  fir  and 
spruce  is  considered  by  some  to  make  a  more  pleasing  contrast  with 


*  These  importations  were  stopped  by  Federal  Quarantine  in  January,  1924, 
to  prevent  introduction  of  the  Mediterranian  Fruit  Fly,  the  fly  having  been 
found  in  shipments  of  Ohanez  to  this  country. 

t  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Bulletin  35:  1-31,  1913. 

X  Estimate  of  Mr.  W.  F.  Broderick,  California  Barrel  Company,  San  Francisco, 
California. 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  33 

the  red  color  of  Emperor  grapes  than  the  darker  sawdust  from  red- 
wood. The  sawdust  as  it  comes  from  the  mills  is  bolted,  fanned,  and 
graded  to  remove  the  fine  material  and  splinters  and  then  kiln  dried. 
As  a  rule,  less  than  10  per  cent  of  the  original  sawdust  appears  in  the 
refined  product  suitable  for  packing  grapes.  This  prepared  redwood, 
fir  or  spruce  sawdust  as  used  at  the  present  time  in  California  is 
superior  to  the  Spanish  ground  cork.  The  chief  reason  for  its 
superiority  is  its  greater  moisture  absorbing  capacity,  which  keeps  the 
grapes  drier  and  thus  lessens  spoiling. 

Pine  sawdust  is  unsatisfactory  because  of  the  difficulty  of  getting  it 
free  from  splinters.    The  high  resin  content  may  also  be  objectionable. 

1.  Standard  containers  used  for  sawdust  packing  in  California. — 
These  are  of  three  types:  (a)  Kegs  made  of  light  wood,  chiefly  fir. 
These  kegs  must  have  a  minimum  cubic  content  of  2642  cubic  inches. 

(b)  Drums  of  the  same  capacity,  14  inches  deep  by  15%  inches 
diameter  (inside)  cylindrical  instead  of  barrel-shaped,  and  constructed 
of  wood  veneer,  cardboard,  or  both.  The  keg  is  somewhat  more  sub- 
stantial than  the  veneer  or  paper  drums,  but  its  cost  is  a  little  greater. 

(c)  Sawdust  lugs,  7%  inches  deep  inside  by  13%  inches  wide  inside 
by  17%  inches  long  outside.  These  are  made  as  tight  as  possible  by 
using  somewhat  heavier  shook  than  that  used  for  the  other  standard 
lugs  and  lining  with  paper.  The  lugs  cost  less  than  kegs  or  drums 
and  the  labor  of  packing  them  about  the  same.  They  can  be  handled 
and  packed  in  car  or  storage  more  conveniently  than  kegs  or  drums. 
Their  smaller  size  makes  them  more  convenient  for  retailers  to  handle. 
They  are,  however,  not  so  substantial  as  kegs. 

2.  Manner  of  packing. — In  packing  a  keg  or  a  drum,  from  33  to  34 
pounds  of  grapes  and  10  to  12  pounds  of  sawdust  are  generally  used. 
A  layer  of  sawdust,  not  over  one  inch  deep  is  first  put  into  the  keg. 
Then  a  layer  of  grapes,  about  one-third  of  the  total  amount,  is  carefully 
laid  uniformly  over  the  bottom  layer  of  sawdust.  More  sawdust  is 
added  and  the  outside  of  the  drum  pounded  lightly  with  rubber  tipped 
wooden  mallets.  A  mallet  is  held  in  each  hand  of  the  packer  and  the 
keg  struck  lightly  but  rapidly,  alternately  on  opposite  sides  until  the 
sawdust  has  completely  filled  the  spaces  between  the  grapes.  The 
keg  or  drum  is  packed  in  either  three  or  four  layers.  If  in  three  layers, 
the  second  layer,  about  one-third  of  the  total  amount,  is  carefully  laid 
in  like  the  first.  More  sawdust  is  added  and  the  keg  again  pounded 
lightly  to  sift  the  sawdust  thoroughly  into  and  among  the  bunches  of 
grapes.  The  remainder  of  the  grapes  is  then  placed  in  the  third  or  top 
layer  in  the  same  way  as  the  other  two.  If  four  layers  are  used,  the 
grapes  of  the  second  and  third  layers  are  laid  around  the  outside  of  the 


34 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


keg  leaving  a  vacant  space  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter  in  the 
center  (fig.  21A).  This  space  is  filled  with  sawdust  and  thus  the  mass- 
ing of  grapes  in  the  center  of  the  keg  is  avoided.  If  grapes  are  to 
be  held  in  cold  storage,  this  method  greatly  reduces  spoiling.  The 
fourth  or  top  layer,  about  one-third  of  the  total,  is  laid  in  like  the  first 
or  bottom  layer  (fig.  21B).  The  sawdust  is  sifted  into  each  layer  of 
grapes  by  tapping  the  outside  of  the  keg  as  described  above. 

A  B 


g/SSSm 


Fig.  21. — Packing  a  sawdust  keg. 

A.  Manner  of  placing  the  second  and  third  layers  where  four  layers  are  used. 

B.  Manner  of  placing  the  bottom  and  top  layers. 

C.  The  keg  completely  filled  and  ready  for  the  head. 

D.  The  finished  pack. 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  35 

When  finished,  the  top  layer  of  grapes  should  be  covered  to  a  depth 
of  about  a  half  inch  to  one  inch  with  sawdust,  which  should  be  just  a 
little  higher  than  the  groove  for  the  head,  so  that  when  the  head  is 
put  in,  there  will  be  no  slack  and  hence  no  shaking  or  settling  of  the 
grapes  in  storage  or  transit  (fig.  21  C  and  D). 

In  packing  lugs  from  23  to  24  pounds  of  grapes  and  about  7  pounds 
of  sawdust  are  used.  The  grapes  are  placed  in  two  layers  and  the 
sawdust  settled  into  and  among  the  bunches  of  grapes  by  shaking  and 
jolting  the  box  lightly  up  and  down,  one  end  at  a  time,  instead  of  by 
hammering  with  mallets. 

3.  Quality  of  grapes  to  be  packed  in  sawdust. — Since  packing  in 
sawdust  is  more  expensive  than  packing  in  lugs  or  crates,  it  is  justi- 
fiable only  for  high  class  grapes  of  the  best  keeping  quality,  which  can 
be  held  in  storage  until  other  grapes  are  off  the  market. 

Grapes  for  sawdust  packing  should  be  selected  in  the  vineyard. 
Several  pickings  should  be  made,  only  fruit  suitable  for  such  packing 
being  taken.  Careful  handling  of  the  fruit  can  not  be  too  strongly 
emphasized.  Any  trimming  necessary  should  be  done  in  the  field  by 
the  pickers,  where  damaged  or  inferior  berries  should  be  removed 
from  the  bunches  with  blunt  pointed  scissors.  They  should  never  be 
taken  out  with  the  fingers.  Fruit  of  the  first  crop  only  should  be 
taken.  Second  crop  fruit  (that  which  is  borne  on  laterals  from  the 
main  shoot)  is  unsatisfactory  because  of  small  compact  bunches  and 
immature  and  soft  berries.  The  bunches  should  be  well  shaped,  neither 
too  compact  nor  too  straggly  and  at  least  of  medium  size.  The  stems 
should  be  well  matured,  hard,  and  woody.  This  is  an  indication  of 
the  full  maturity  of  the  grapes.  The  berries  should  be  well  matured 
but  not  over-ripe,  and  should  be  of  good  size  and  color.  Small  berries, 
so  long  as  they  are  few  and  sound,  should  not  be  removed,  for  other 
berries  may  be  injured  in  so  doing. 

Efforts  have  been  made  to  establish  legal  standards  of  quality  in 
addition  to  the  usual  requirements  for  lug  and  crate  packed  grapes. 
These  efforts  have  not  been  entirely  successful,  but  probably  with  time 
and  experience  suitable  standards  will  be  worked  out  and  enforced. 
Since  the  buyer  before  purchasing  can  not  examine  grapes  packed  in 
sawdust  as  easily  as  those  in  ordinary  lugs  or  crates,  he  must  rely  on 
legal  standards  or  reputable  brands  to  avoid  disappointment. 

4.  Varieties  suitable  for  sawdust  packing. — A  fairly  loose  bunch 
and  a  firm,  tough-skinned,  long-keeping  berry  are  essential  for  success- 
ful sawdust  packing.  Up  to  the  present  time  only  two  varieties, 
Emperor  and  Ohanez  (Almeria),  have  met  these  requirements  to  a 
sufficient  degree  to  be  handled  in  this  manner  on  an  extensive  com- 


36  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

mercial  scale.  Considerable  difficulty  has  been  experienced  in  Cali- 
fornia in  growing  Ohanez  successfully;  so  that  the  Emperor  is  the 
principal  variety  packed  in  sawdust.  Attempts  have  been  made  to 
handle  Tokay,  Malaga,  Cornichon,  Black  Ferrara,  and  others  in  this 
manner,  but  these  attempts  have  usually  met  with  failure. 

5.  Cost  of  sawdust  packing. — The  cost  of  the  materials  and  labor 
for  sawdust  packing  in  kegs  is  from  about  3  to  4  cents  a  pound,  and 
for  lugs  from  about  2  to  3  cents. 

SHIPPING 

Loading  and  tracing  of  cars. — The  manner  of  loading  and  bracing 
standard  refrigerator  cars  is  specified  by  the  railroads  operating  in 
California,  in  ''Pacific  Freight  Tariff  Bureau  Circular  No.  16."  The 
necessity  of  solid  regular  packing  and  careful  bracing  and  ''strip- 
ping" (bracing  with  laths)  according  to  the  instructions  issued  by 
the  railroads  can  not  be  too  strongly  emphasized  since  these  precau- 
tions are  necessary  to  prevent  the  shifting  of  the  load  in  transit. 
Regular  stacking  is  very  important  for  the  circulation  of  air  through 
the  load  and  therefore  the  cooling  of  the  fruit  is  to  a  large  degree 
dependent  upon  the  spacing  of  the  boxes,  lengthwise  and  vertically 
in  the  car.  If  one  stack  of  boxes  is  placed  so  that  these  air  spaces  are 
obstructed,  the  lengthwise  movement  of  the  air  through  the  load  is 
cut  off.  Worse  still,  if  one  or  more  layers  of  boxes  are  placed  so  that 
there  is  no  free  opening  vertically  through  the  load,  the  vertical  move- 
ment of  the  air  is  cut  off  and  the  cooling  of  the  upper  layers  retarded. 
Figure  22  shows  the  manner  of  placing  the  boxes  in  the  car  and  of 
stripping  to  prevent  the  shifting  of  the  load  crosswise  of  the  car. 

Refrigeration  in  Transit. — The  standard  refrigerator  car  is  built 
with  an  ice  compartment  at  each  end.  Refrigeration  of  the  load  in 
the  middle  compartment  is  accomplished  by  means  of  the  circulation 
of  the  air  which  passes  down  through  the  ice  at  each  end  of  the  car, 
into  the  main  compartment  through  screens  in  the  bulkheads  near  the 
bottom,  up  through  the  load,  and  back  into  the  ice  compartments 
through  another  set  of  screens  in  the  bulkheads  near  the  top.  The 
difference  in  specific  gravity  (weight)  between  the  column  of  cold  air 
in  the  ice  compartments  and  of  the  warm  air  in  the  main  compartment 
causes  the  circulation.  Figure  23  is  a  chart  showing  the  temperatures 
obtained  in  a  standard  refrigerator  car  in  transit  with  normal  icing. 
The  shipper  can  do  a  great  deal  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  refrigera- 
tion in  transit  by  regular  loading  so  that  the  air  passages  lengthwise 
and  vertically  through  the  load  are  not  obstructed.     The  car  should 


Bull.  390]    harvesting  and  PACKING  GRAPES  IN   CALIFORNIA 


37 


be  cold  when  loaded.  This  means  that  the  ice  bunkers  should  be  filled 
at  least  twelve  hours  before  loading.  During  the  course  of  loading 
the  doors  should  be  kept  closed  whenever  possible.  The  railroads,  of 
course,  take  care  of  all  icing  in  transit. 

Pre-cooling  Before  Shipment. — Several  experimental  plants  have 
been  erected  in  California  and  used  for  pre-cooling  grapes.  While 
undoubtedly  pre-cooling  is  of  value  in  reducing  deterioration  in 
transit,  the  consensus  of  opinion  among  shippers  is  that  the  overhead 
and  operating  expenses  of  a  plant  for  grapes  alone,  where  it  would  be 
in  use  only  a  few  weeks  during  the  year,  are  prohibitive. 


Fig.  22. — Interior  of  a  standard  refrigerator  car  showing  the 
manner  of  loading  and  ' '  stripping. ' ' 

Use  of  Salt  with  the  lee  in  Refrigerator  Cars. — When  salt  is  added 
to  ice,  the  melting  point  of  the  ice  is  reduced.  The  addition  of  2  per 
cent  of  salt  will  reduce  the  temperature  of  the  melting  ice  to  about 
30°  F.,  and  5  per  cent  salt  to  about  27°  F.  In  a  recent  refrigeration 
test  trip  conducted  by  the  Standardization  Department  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Fruit  Exchange  in  the  interests  of  the  California  Growers '  and 
Shippers'  Protective  League,  an  accurate  check  was  kept  of  the  tem- 
peratures obtained  in  various  parts  of  the  load  of  six  cars,  enroute 
from  California  to  Chicago  and  New  York.  To  one  of  these  cars  which 
was  loaded  with  plums  and  figs  at  Newcastle,  California,  salt  was 
added  to  the  ice  in  the  bunkers.    Regarding  the  use  of  salt  with  the 


38 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


ice  in  refrigerator  cars  loaded  with  fresh  fruit,  the  report  of  this  trip 
states :*  "The  addition  of  salt  to  the  ice  in  the  bunkers  aided  in  reduc- 
ing the  temperatures  in  the  top  of  the  load,  but  salt  must  be  added 


*  Eefrigerator  test  trip  of  six  cars  of  plums  and  other  deciduous  fruits  from 
central  and  northern  California  points  to  Chicago  and  New  York  City,  June  19 
to  July  1,  1924.  Conducted  by  the  Standardization  Department  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Fruit  Exchange  in  the  interests  of  the  California  Growers'  and  Shippers' 
Protective  League,  San  Francisco,  California,  pp.  10-11. 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND   PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  39 

carefully.  It  was  found  that  a  2  per  cent  mixture  of  ordinary  rock 
salt  added  to  the  Newcastle  car  just  after  loading  was  completed, 
resulted  in  bringing  the  temperature  at  the  top  of  the  load  down  to 
45  degrees  within  one  day,  as  compared  to  six  days  in  getting  the  tem- 
perature down  to  55  degrees  in  a  car  not  salted.  The  temperature  in 
the  bottom  of  the  load  was  pulled  down  to  about  40  degrees  at  the  end 
of  one  day,  but,  to  show  that  extreme  care  must  be  exercised  in  adding 
salt,  the  temperature  in  the  coldest  part  of  the  load,  at  the  bottom 
layer  near  the  ice  bunkers,  had  dropped  to  29  degrees  by  the  time 
the  Newcastle  car  reached  Ogden,  Utah.  Instructions  were  then  given 
to  stop  salting  at  re-icing  stations,  except  under  special  orders. 

"Our  recommendation  with  reference  to  the  use  of  salt  would  be 
that,  while  extreme  care  must  be  used,  a  light  mixture  of  from  2  to  4 
per  cent  of  salt  at  time  of  loading  and  at  first  re-icing  is  advantageous 
in  reducing  car  temperatures  promptly  and  in  lowering  the  spread 
between  the  top  and  bottom  layer  temperatures.  The  salt  should  be 
added  after  the  car  doors  are  closed,  otherwise  a  lot  of  refrigeration, 
created  from  the  rapid  melting  of  the  ice,  is  lost.  The  salting  record 
of  the  Newcastle  car  was  as  follows :  250  pounds  added  at  Newcastle, 
California;  112  pounds  at  Sparks,  Nevada;  64  pounds  at  Carlin, 
Nevada ;  27  pounds  at  Laramie,  Wyoming ;  and  20  pounds  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa.  The  amount  of  salt  added  is  always  based  on  the  amount  of  ice 
added  and  not  on  the  total  amount  of  ice  in  the  bunkers.  From  250  to 
300  pounds  is  enough  to  add  at  point  of  origin.  Slightly  larger 
quantities  might  be  used  without  danger.  However,  the  use  of  even  a 
small  percentage  of  salt  is  inadvisable  unless  the  car  is  equipped  with 
a  floor  rack,  basket  ice  bunkers  and  solid,  insulated  bulkheads." 

Figure  24  is  a  chart  showing  the  temperatures  obtained  in  this  car. 

The  following  charges  are  made  (1924  season)  by  the  carriers 
where  salt  is  used  with  the  ice  :* 

Where  2%  salt  is  furnished      5%  of  stated  refrigerator  rate 

Where  3%  salt  is  furnished    1\%  of  stated  refrigerator  rate 

Where  4%  salt  is  furnished  10£%  of  stated  refrigerator  rate 

Where  5%  salt  is  furnished  12J%  of  stated  refrigerator  rate 

Where  salt  is  used  with  initial  icing  only  or  with  initial  icing  and 

first  re-icing  only,  a  flat  charge  of  $3.50  will  be  made  for  the  service 

of  salting,  regardless  of  the  per  cent  of  salt  used — not  to  exceed, 

however,  a  maximum  of  5  per  cent  salt. 


*  Data  from  The  Blue  Anchor,  published  by  the  California  Fruit  Exchange, 
Vol.  1,  No.  1,  p.  13. 


40 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


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42  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


SUMMARY 

1.  From  1900  to  1924,  the  shipments  of  fresh  grapes  from  Cali- 
fornia increased  from  765  to  52,358  or  70  times,  an  average  of  20 
per  cent  a  year  (see  page  3). 

2.  Suitable  methods  of  handling,  packing  and  shipping  table  grapes 
have  been  developed  during  this  period  which  are,  on  the  whole,  satis- 
factory but  are  imperfectly  understood  by  some  growers. 

Harvesting. 

3.  The  quality  of  table  grapes  depends  greatly  upon  picking  at  the 
proper  degree  of  ripeness  (see  page  4). 

4.  The  legal  lower  limit  of  this  degree  is  determined  by  the  sugar 
percentage  as  shown  by  the  (jydrometer  test  (see  page  6). 

5.  The  pickers  are  guided  in  harvesting  by  the  color  and  appear- 
ance of  the  grapes  which  have  been  shown  to  correspond  with  the 
required  hydrometer  test  (see  page  7). 

6.  The  grapes  are  picked  into  strong  boxes  sufficiently  deep  for  one 
layer  of  bunches  placed  "stems  up"  and  light  enough  when  filled  to 
be  handled  easily  by  one  man  (see  page  8). 

7.  The  bunches  should  be  cut  from  the  vine,  handled  by  the  stem 
only,  and  great  care  exercised  to  avoid  all  bruising  or  removal  of 
bloom  (see  page  9). 

8.  The  bunches  should  be  placed  in  the  picking  box  with  the  stems 
up  in  order  to  facilitate  their  removal  by  the  packers  without  injury. 

9.  The  boxes  should  be  placed  in  the  shade  as  soon  as  filled  and 
taken  to  the  packing  house  or  car  as  soon  as  possible  (see  page  10). 

9.  The  boxes  should  be  placed  in  the  shade  as  soon  as  filled  and 
taken  to  the  packing  house  or  car  as  soon  as  possible. 

10.  Shaking  and  bruising  in  transporting  the  filled  boxes  should 
be  carefully  avoided.  Light  trucks  with  springs  for  the  vineyard  and 
light  auto  trucks  with  pneumatic  tires  for  the  road  are  best  (see 
page  10). 


BULL.  390]     HARVESTING   AND  PACKING   GRAPES   IN    CALIFORNIA  43 

Packing. 

11.  Some  kind  of  a  building  or  shed  is  almost  necessary  for  the 
packing  of  the  grapes,  except  those  "field  packed."  This  building 
need  not  be  elaborate  or  expensive  and  may  vary  from  an  open  shed 
with  a  dirt  floor  to  a  large  brick  building  (see  page  11). 

12.  Various  types  of  organization  adapted  to  various  purposes  and 
conditions  are  in  use  for  the  packing  and  marketing  of  the  fruit  (see 
page  12). 

13.  The  packing  house  must  be  equipped  for  box  making,  weighing, 
handling  and  packing  the  fruit  (see  page  13). 

14.  It  should  be  so  arranged  that  all  the  operations  can  be  done 
with  the  least  possible  labor  and  the  greatest  speed  compatible  with 
proper  and  efficient  work  (see  page  19). 

15.  Packing  may  be  done  in  the  field  or  in  a  special  packing  house. 
Field  packing  may  be  used  to  advantage  if  shipping  facilities  are  good, 
and  capable  field  packers  can  be  obtained  and  if  the  fruit  is  of  good 
quality,  requiring  but  little  or  no  trimming.  When  shipping  facilities 
are  such  that  the  fruit  cannot  be  loaded  into  the  car  before  it  has  a 
chance  to  wilt,  or  skilled  field  packers  cannot  be  obtained,  or  if  the 
fruit  requires  considerable  trimming,  the  house  pack  has  proved  to  be 
better  and  cheaper  (see  page  20). 

16.  For  field  packing,  or  for  packing  very  fresh  grapes  in  packing 
houses,  lug  boxes  are  preferred  by  most  growers  and  packers.  The 
No.  1  Standard  (Los  Angeles)  and  No.  2  Standard  (A.  F.  W.)  are 
used  chiefly.  Where  the  grapes  are  allowed  to  wilt  before  packing, 
the  No.  3  Standard  (Earl)  lug  and  the  Standard  4-basket  crate  may 
be  used.  The  popularity  of  lug  boxes  has  increased  rapidly  in  recent 
years,  but  certain  markets  still  show  a  preference  for  crates  (see 
page  24). 

17.  There  are  three  principal  methods  of  arranging  the  grapes  in 
the  container:  "Jumble  pack"  for  local  trade  and  juice  grapes; 
"Stems-up"  for  packing  in  lugs;  "Plain-pack,"  for  grapes  of  which 
the  appearance  is  important,  in  crates  or  lugs.  The  "Cluster"  pack 
is  used  rarely  (see  page  28). 

18.  Grapes  for  sawdust  packing  should  be  selected  and  trimmed  in 
the  vineyard.  Varieties  for  this  purpose  should  have  good  keeping 
qualities,  firm  texture,  tough  skin  and  fairly  loose  bunches.  Only  the 
Emperor  and  Ohanez  are  commonly  packed  in  this  way.  The  sawdust 
used  must  be  dried,  sifted  and  made  free  from  dust  and  splinters  by 
a  special  process  (see  page  31). 


44  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Shipping. 

19.  Careful  loading  and  bracing  are  essential.  The  boxes  must  be 
stacked  regularly  so  as  to  permit  of  good  air  circulation.  Bracing 
should  be  well  done  to  prevent  shifting  in  transit  (see  page  36). 

20.  The  car  should  be  cool  when  loaded.  Pre-cooling  has  not 
proved  of  sufficient  benefit  to  warrant  the  building  of  a  plant  for 
grapes  alone.  Salt  at  the  rate  of  2-4  per  cent  added  to  the  ice  at  the 
time  of  loading  and  at  the  first  re-icing  is  advantageous  in  reducing 
the  temperature  in  the  car.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  use  too  much 
salt  or  the  temperature  will  be  lowered  to  an  injurious  degree.  Unless 
the  car  is  equipped  with  a  floor  rack,  basket  ice  bunkers  and  solid 
insulated  bulkheads,  salt  cannot  be  used  (see  page  37). 


STATION  PUBLICATIONS  AVAILABLE  FOR  FREE  DISTRIBUTION 


BULLETINS 


No. 

253.  Irrigation  and  Soil  Conditions  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Foothills,  California. 

261.  Melaxuma    of    the    Walnut,     "Juglans 

regia." 

262.  Citrus   Diseases  of  Florida   and  Cuba 

Compared  with  Those  of  California. 

263.  Size  Grades  for  Ripe  Olives. 

268.   Growing  and  Grafting  Olive  Seedlings. 
273.   Preliminary  Report  on  Kearney  Vine- 
yard Experimental  Drain. 

275.  The  Cultivation  of  Belladonna  in  Cali- 

fornia. 

276.  The  Pomegranate. 

277.  Sudan  Grass 

278.  Grain  Sorghums. 

279.  Irrigation  of  Rice  in  California. 

280.  Irrigation  of  Alfalfa  in  the  Sacramento 

Valley. 
283.  The  Olive  Insects  of  California. 

285.  The  Milk  Goat  in  California. 

286.  Commercial  Fertilizers. 
294.   Bean  Culture  in  California. 

304.  A   Study  of  the  Effects  of  Freezes  on 

Citrus   in   California. 
310.  Plum  Pollination. 

312.  Mariout  Barley. 

313.  Pruning  Young  Deciduous  Fruit  Trees. 
319.   Caprifigs  and  Caprification. 

824.  Storage  of  Perishable  Fruit  at  Freezing 
Temperatures. 

325.  Rice  Irrigation  Measurements  and  Ex- 
periments in  Sacramento  Valley, 
1914-1919. 

328.   Prune  Growing  in  California. 

331.   Phylloxera-Resistant  Stocks. 

334.  Preliminary  Volume  Tables  for  Second- 

Growth  Redwood. 

335.  Cocoanut   Meal    as   a   Feed   for  Dairy 

Cows  and  Other  Livestock. 

339.  The  Relative  Cost  of  Making  Logs  from 

Small  and  Large  Timber. 

340.  Control  of  the  Pocket  Gopher  in  Cali- 

fornia. 

343.  Cheese  Pests  and  Their  Control. 

344.  Cold  Storage  as  an  Aid  to  the  Market- 

ing of  Plums. 

346.  Almond  Pollination. 

347.  The  Control  of  Red  Spiders  in  Decidu- 

ous Orchards. 

348.  Pruning  Young  Olive  Trees. 

349.  A    Study    of    Sidedraft    and    Tractor 

Hitches. 

350.  Agriculture  in  Cut-over  Redwood  Lands. 
352.  Further  Experiments  in  Plum  Pollina- 
tion. 


No. 
353. 
354. 
357. 

358. 

359. 
361. 

362. 
363. 

364. 

365. 
366. 

367. 

368. 

369. 
370. 
371. 

372. 

374. 

375. 

376. 

377. 
379. 
380. 

381. 

382. 

383. 

384. 


385. 
386. 


387. 


Bovine  Infectious  Abortion. 

Results  of  Rice  Experiments  in   1922. 

A  Self-mixing  Dusting  Machine  for 
Applying  Dry  Insecticides  and 
Fungicides. 

Black  Measles,  Water  Berries,  and 
Related  Vine  Troubles. 

Fruit  Beverage  Investigations. 

Preliminary  Yield  Tables  for  Second 
Growth  Redwood. 

Dust  and  the  Tractor  Engine. 

The  Pruning  of  Citrus  Trees  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Fungicidal  Dusts  for  the  Control  of 
Bunt. 

Avocado   Culture   in   California. 

Turkish  Tobacco  Culture,  Curing  and 
Marketing. 

Methods  of  Harvesting  and  Irrigation 
in  Relation  to  Mouldy  Walnuts. 

Bacterial  Decomposition  of  Olives  dur- 
ing Pickling. 

Comparison  of  Woods  for  Butter  Boxes. 

Browning  of  Yellow  Newtown  Apples. 

The  Relative  Cost  of  Yarding  Small 
and  Large  Timber. 

The  Cost  of  Producing  Market  Milk  and 
Butterfat  on  246  California  Dairies. 

A  Survey  of  Orchard  Practices  in  the 
Citrus  Industry  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. 

Results  of  Rice  Experiments  at  Cor- 
tena,    1923. 

Sun-Drying  and  Dehydration  of  Wal- 
nuts. 

The  Cold  Storage  of  Pears. 

Walnut  Culture  in  California. 

Growth  of  Eucalyptus  in  California 
Plantations. 

Growing  and  Handling  Asparagus 
Crowns. 

Pumping  for  Drainage  in  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley,   California. 

Monilia  Blossom  Blight  (Brown  Rot) 
of  Apricot. 

A  Study  of  the  Relative  Values  of  Cer- 
tain Succulent  Feeds  and  Alfalfa  Meal 
as  Sourses  of  Vitamin  A  for  Poultry. 

Pollination  of  the  Sweet  Cherry. 

Pruning  Bearing  Deciduous  Fruit 
Trees. 

Fig  Smut. 


CIRCULARS 


No. 

87.  Alfalfa. 
113.   Correspondence  Courses  in  Agriculture. 
117.  The    Selection    and    Cost    of    a    Small 

Pumping  Plant. 
127.   House  Fumigation. 
129.  The  Control  of  Citrus  Insects. 
136.  Melilotus    indica    as    a    Green-Manure 

Crop  for  California. 
144.   Oidium  or  Powdery  Mildew  of  the  Vine. 

151.  Feeding:  and  Management  of  Hogs. 

152.  Some  Observations  on  the  Bulk  Hand- 

ling of  Grain  in  California. 

154.  Irrigation   Practice  in   Growing  Small 

Fruit  in  California. 

155.  Bovine  Tuberculosis. 


No. 

157.   Control  of  the  Pear  Scab. 
160.   Lettuce  Growing  in  California. 

164.  Small  Fruit  Culture  in  California. 

165.  Fundamentals   of   Sugar   Beet   Culture 

under  California  Conditions. 

166.  The  County  Farm  Bureau. 

167.  Feeding  Stuffs  of  Minor  Importance. 
170.   Fertilizing  California  Soils  for  the  1918 

Crop. 
173.  The    Construction    of   the   Wood-Hoop 
Silo. 

178.  The  Packing  of  Apples  in  California. 

179.  Factors    of    Importance    in    Producing 

Milk  of  Low  Bacterial  Count. 
184.  A  Flock  of  Sheep  on  the  Farm. 


CIRCULARS — (Continued) 


No. 

190.  Agriculture  Clubs  in  California. 

199.   Onion  Growing  in  California. 

202.  County  Organizations   for  Rural  Fire 

Control. 

203.  Peat  as  a  Manure  Substitute. 

208.  Summary  of  the  Annual  Reports  of  the 

Farm  Advisors  of  California. 

209.  The  Function  of  the  Farm  Bureau. 

210.  Suggestions  to  the  Settler  in  California. 
212.   Salvaging  Rain-Damaged  Prunes. 

214.  Seed  Treatment  for  the  Prevention  of 

Cereal  Smuts. 

215.  Feeding  Dairy  Cows  in  California. 
217.  Methods  for  Marketing  Vegetables   in 

California. 
220.  Unfermented  Fruit  Juices. 
228.  Vineyard  Irrigation  in  Arid  Climates. 

230.  Testing   Milk,    Cream,    and   Skim  Milk 

for  Butterfat. 

231.  The  Home  Vineyard. 

232.  Harvesting    and    Handling    California 

Cherries  for  Eastern  Shipment. 

233.  Artificial  Incubation. 

234.  Winter  Injury  to  Young  "Walnut  Trees 

during  1921-22. 

235.  Soil  Analysis  and  Soil  and  Plant  Inter- 

relations. 

236.  The  Common  Hawks  and  Owls  of  Cali- 

fornia   from   the    Standpoint   of   the 
Rancher. 

237.  Directions  for  the  Tanning  and  Dress- 

of  Furs. 

238.  The  Apricot  in  California. 

239.  Harvesting  and  Handling  Apricots  and 

Plums  for  Eastern  Shipment. 

240.  Harvesting    and    Handling    Pears   for 

Eastern  Shipment. 

241.  Harvesting  and  Handling  Peaches  for 

Eastern  Shipment. 

242.  Poultry   Feeding. 

243.  Marmalade  Juice  and  Jelly  Juice  from 

Citrus  Fruits. 

244.  Central  Wire  Bracing  for  Fruit  Trees. 

245.  Vine  Pruning  Systems. 

247.  Colonization  and  Rural  Development. 

248.  Some  Common  Errors  in  Vine  Pruning 

and  Their  Remedies. 

249.  Replacing  Missing  Vines. 

250.  Measurement  of   Irrigation   Water   on 

the  Farm. 

251.  Recommendations  Concerning  the  Com- 

mon    Diseases     and     Parasites     of 
Poultry  in  California. 


No. 
252. 
253. 
254. 

255. 

256. 
257. 
258. 
259. 
260. 

261. 
262. 
263. 
264. 

265. 
266. 

267. 

268. 

269. 
270. 
271. 
272. 

273. 

274. 

275. 

276. 
277. 

278. 

279. 

281. 


282. 

283. 
284. 
289. 


Supports  for  Vines. 

Vineyard  Plans. 

The  Use  of  Artificial  Light  to  Increase 
Winter  Egg  Production. 

Leguminous  Plants  as  Organic  Fertil- 
izer in  California  Agriculture. 

The  Control  of  Wild  Morning  Glory. 

The  Small-Seeded  Horse  Bean. 

Thinning  Deciduous  Fruits. 

Pear  By-products. 

A  Selected  List  of  References  Relating 
to  Irrigation  in  California. 

Sewing  Grain   Sacks. 

Cabbage  Growing  in  California. 

Tomato  Production  in  California. 

Preliminary  Essentials  to  Bovine  Tuber- 
culosis Control. 

Plant  Disease  and  Pest  Control. 

Analyzing  the  Citrus  Orchard  by  Means 
of  Simple  Tree  Records. 

The  Tendency  of  Tractors  to  Rise  in 
Front;  Causes  and  Remedies. 

Inexpensive  Lavor-saving  Poultry  Ap- 
pliances. 

An  Orchard  Brush  Burner. 

A  Farm  Septic  Tank. 

Brooding  Chicks  Artificially. 

California  Farm  Tenancy  and  Methods 
of  Leasing. 

Saving  the  Gophered  Citrus  Tree. 

Fusarium  Wilt  of  Tomato  and  its  Con- 
trol by  Means  of  Resistant  Varieties. 

Marketable  California  Decorative 
Greens. 

Home  Canning. 

Head,  Cane,  and  Cordon  Pruning  of 
Vines. 

Olive  Pickling  in  Mediterranean  Coun- 
tries. 

The  Preparation  and  Refining  of  Olive 
Oil  in  Southern  Europe. 

The  Results  of  a  Survey  to  Determine 
the  Cost  of  Producing  Beef  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Prevention  of  Insect  Attack  on  Stored 
Grain. 

Fertilizing  Citrus  Trees  in  California. 

The  Almond  in  California. 

Oak  Fungus  in  Orchard  Trees. 


The  publications  listed  above  may  be  had  by  addressing 

College  of  Agriculture, 

University  of  California, 

Berkeley,  California. 


15m-6,'25 


